Throbbing feet. Standing on your feet for hours can really take its toll. If you've been out shopping all day or dancing all evening at the office holiday party you may find your feet throbbing. This is often the result of inflammation of the plantar fascia, the tissue that runs from the balls of the feet to the heel. When standing, the ears should align with the ankles, but many people have a forward center of mass where the ears align with the front of the foot. When this happens, pressure increases on the arch of the foot and the muscles that support it, causing them to work harder and eventually strain.
Tip: Dorsiflexion (moving the foot/toes toward the shins) strengthens the anterior tibialis, the muscles of the front lower leg that help to support the arch of the foot. Additionally, strengthening the glutes and hamstrings help with posture and better balance. Squats, lunges and deadlifts are ideal exercises for these muscle groups.
Low back or neck pain. If you sit at your desk all day or spend hours driving or on a plane, this can wreak havoc on the body too, particularly the low back and neck. If you have a desk job or are planning a long trip, give yourself regular breaks to stand up, move, and stretch. Even for short periods of time, this helps with circulation, refreshes mood, and lessens fatigue and low back aches and pains. With prolonged sitting or standing, we lose good posture, typically allowing the back to round and the shoulders and head to fall forward. This position overstretches the lower back and places needless stress on the neck, and as a result, these muscles rebound by trying to shorten. Without frequent breaks, the increased instinct for the muscles to shorten can cause them to become strained.
Tip: Weak abdominals, glutes and hamstrings and overly tight quadriceps and hip flexors can also contribute to and cause shortening of the lower back muscles, so be sure that your workouts include exercises and stretches for all muscle groups.
Other scenarios can alter posture and cause foot, ankle, back or neck problems including wearing high heels or improperly fitting shoes, or carrying excess weight around the midsection.
The shoulder muscles and rotator cuff are commonly overworked areas of the body and can become strained with too much lifting, carrying heavy bags, and other activities. The rotator cuff consists of four muscles and tendon attachments, and is responsible for keeping the upper arm bone in the shoulder joint. Other muscle groups that help support the rotator cuff must be maintained at a certain level of conditioning to avoid strain and other overuse injuries. Internal and external rotation and deltoid exercises help to keep the shoulder joint strong.
To perform internal rotation, place the elbow at the side of the waist and keep it there while moving the forearm inward using light resistance, for external rotation, take the forearm out to the side. To work the triceps, place the hands on the edge of a countertop or against a wall (beginner) a thumb width apart, keep the feet in place, and slowly move the whole body forward and back, as if doing a pushup. Pushing dumbbells overhead while standing or sitting works the deltoid (shoulder) muscles effectively as does lifting weights to the front, sides or to the back.
Marjie Gilliam
owns Custom Fitness Personal Training Services. Write to her in care of the Dayton Daily News, call her at (937) 878-9018 or send e-mail to marjie@ohtrainer.com. Her Web site is at www.ohtrainer.com.
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